PARLIAMENTARY.

Northland Age, Volume 19, Issue 32, 10 November 1921, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY.

On recent Order Papers appear the following of interest to farmers:— Mr Reed (Bay of Islands) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, whether he will assist farmers’ co-operative companies financially, through one of the lending Departments, in erecting crushing plants to treat raw phosphite rock ? [Note.— Manufacturers are obtaining phosphate rock at £3 17s. per ton and selling the crushed material at £7 155., which puts the cost of crushing at nearly £4 per ton, whereas 10s. per ton should suffice.] The Hon. Mr Nosworthy (Minister of Agriculture) replied, No power exists for any Government lending Department to advance money for the purpose stated,and any such arrangement would have to be first sanctioned by Parliament. The crushing plants now in operation at Auckland, Dunedin, and Bluff, and in course of erection in Canterbury, could meet requirements for some time to come, and it is most sincerely hoped that they will meet the position as regards sellingprices for ground phosphate rock. The Government is at present going into the matter from more points* of view than one, and the suggestion conveyed by the honourable member’s question will receive most careful consideration, seeing that it is only right that farmers should be enabled to purchase all the ground phosphate they require at a proper price after allowing for necessary charges on a fair and reasonable basis. [Note. —ios. per ton is too small a price to allow to cover all charges from the ship’s side. The cost of sacks alone amounts to from Ids. to lis. per ton.]

Mr Reed (Bay of Islands) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Whether he will state in detail the safeguards that are being taken to effectively prevent the spread of fireblight into the North Auckland Peninsula, in particular the width of the belt established as a buffer between the affected and non-affected area and the work done in that belt?

The Hon. Mr Nosworjhy (Minister of Agriculture) replied, The enforcement of the Noxious Weeds Act in theWaitemata County, which is being attended to, will in itself provide a safety belt, as the cuttingback of the hedges as required by the Act applies over a considerable area beyond the outer boundary of the present known infection. The prevention will be in the form of the breaking of the chain of possible infection provided by the flowering of the hawthorn, which has been the principal factor in the disease passing from one orchard area to another in the past. Should more stringent measures prove necessary, steps will be taken accordingly. The disease has not made its appearance this season in orchards in the W aitemata area, but the danger period is not yet over. A very careful watch is being kept in order that, if it appears, it can be detected at once and the necessary measures taken to endeavour to prevent its spread. Mr Reed (Bay of Islands) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Whether he will set up a special parliamentary Committee to inquire into and report upon Dominion shipping, banking, freezing, and the overseas marketing, of- primary products as they affect the Dominion’s agricultural and pastoral industries, such Committee, if necessary, continuing its investigations during the recess ?

The Hon. Mr Nosworthy (Minister of Agriculture) replied, The matters referred

to are receiving the active consideration of the Governmaot at the present time. The question of setting up a special Committee, as suggested, will be gone into should developments indicate the desirableness of doing so.